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Tag Archives: Outdoors

About an hour’s drive out of Denver, west on Interstate 70, a short trip through the Eisenhower Tunnel, and a climb to around 9,000 feet (2770 m), brought us to the little down of Dillon, Colorado. Though the populated area looks larger than it is, in 2016, the population was listed as under 1,000. Of course, the Rocky Mountains are a big draw for outdoor enthusiasts, especially in the winter. Continue reading →

Synonymous with motorcycles and the great Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for 77 years, Sturgis, South Dakota welcomes bikers by the thousands every summer. Unless you call yourself Ironclad or Stiletto and ride one of those two- or three-wheel bikes, however, you probably want to avoid driving through town during the rally. Indeed, in 2000, over 600,000 were in attendance at the rally, and on its 75th anniversary, over 3/4 of a million people participated during the 10-day experience. Continue reading →

The week of our family reunion brought us to Albuquerque and the main purpose for our 3200 mile (5150 km) road trip. This was our second reunion trip to New Mexico. In 2002, our first family reunion in Albuquerque featured a balloon ride, so it was fitting that another balloon ride should be on the agenda. And so it came to pass on Thursday morning. We arose well before sunrise and a subset of our family carpooled the 20 or so minute drive to our appointment with a large hot air balloon. Continue reading →

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared a couple of Cellpic Sunday images I grabbed during a short stay at Breezy Point Resort in northern Minnesota. As I was there to attend a conference, I didn’t have a lot of time to take photos, but I did head out in the evening for a short walk, and then rose early hoping for a high quality sunrise. Continue reading →

The Holbert Trail, from the base of South Mountain to Dobbins Point and further, is a bit of a climb. Along the way, you will find it advantageous to stop and take photos. You stop, not only because they photos present interesting views, but the pause gives you a chance to catch your breath and grab a swig of water. The hike isn’t long, only a couple of miles, but it climbs around 1200 feet. Continue reading →

This year, the desert is awash with green. A layer of green grass is visible in the normally brown desert floor. The Phoenix metro has seen a lot of rain this winter. I am hoping I won’t be back in Fargo before what is sure to be a banner wildflower season. Recently our hiking club visited Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. Formerly the home of a dude ranch, the area is now a reserve where Cave Creek winds its way in a southerly path. One of the prominent peaks in Cave Creek is Elephant Mountain, as anyone with even a bit of imagination can probably note in the image above. Continue reading →

The giant saguaro cactus towers above the Arizona landscape. Found only in the Sonoran Desert, the long-lived cacti is a staple of western movies and photographs. The Sonoran Desert covers parts of eastern California, southern Arizona and northern Mexico. A national park near Tucson is dedicated to this majestic plant. The park is divided into two sections, one east of the city of Tucson, the other west. I had the opportunity to visit both in recent weeks. Continue reading →